


Observations

by whizzerdbrown



Category: The Book of Mormon - Parker/Stone/Lopez
Genre: Analysis, Angst, Character Analysis, Fluff, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Mentions of Anxiety, Slow Burn, character analysis through another character, hell dreams, mcpricely - Freeform, mentions of depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-02-28 16:19:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13275246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whizzerdbrown/pseuds/whizzerdbrown
Summary: Elder Connor McKinley, district nine leader, was an interesting being. Kevin Price is determined to find out what makes him just so interesting and important to him.





	1. was i in it?

Connor McKinley was an interesting being. Just when Kevin thought that he had the redhead figured out, Connor did something else that threw Kevin for yet _another_ loop. Kevin honestly didn’t even know what to think about him anymore. 

In the very beginning, he didn’t like Connor at all. To be fair though, in the very beginning, Kevin didn’t really like _anyone._ In the very beginning, Kevin had been a self-obsessed narcissist with a god-complex. By now, he’d mellowed out a bit. Maybe he wasn’t perfect, to where all of the other elders were at, but he was certainly better than before. 

It wasn’t until a bit after Kevin’s first Hell Dream that he began trying to figure out the mystery that was Elder Connor McKinley. That was mostly because of that _comment_ that the shorter boy had made — _“Was I in it?”_ Kevin had never really said anything about that. Not an answer, not questioning _why_ Connor would be in it. But that comment had led to Kevin paying more attention to their district leader. Paying more attention led to some observations. Observations that Kevin often wondered if the others had seen too, or if it was just himself. 

Observations like just how _blue_ Connor’s eyes really were. And how those blue eyes lit up when he smiled. And how that smile was bright enough to bring butterflies to Kevin’s stomach. Also, that Connor was absolutely _covered_ in freckles, and that those freckles seemed to multiply and darken after each long day out in the sun. Speaking of his skin, he was so pale. It was amazing that his sunburns were never worse than they usually were. He seemed to be getting used to the sun, though, because his skin was starting to darken along with his freckles. Oh, and Connor’s hair. It was always amazingly shiny, silky, smooth looking. When he was out in the sun, it looked like a brighter red, and it looked shiner. 

Kevin’s observations weren’t just Connor’s appearance, though. He was starting to try and pull apart his personality, too. This was harder. Usually, the redhead was an energetic ball of sunshine. Optimistic, cheerful, almost always smiling. Then, there were some days where he was still like that, but it almost seemed forced. And then, there were also days where he just seemed… tired. Kevin always made a point to not act out on those days, and to try and keep Arnold from being as loud as he usually was. Those days really worried Kevin, especially because they were usually almost immediately followed by a few day of his fake optimism before the _real_ peppy and bubbly Elder McKinley was back. None of the other elders seemed to be picking up on that. 

Now, though, almost a year and a half later, Kevin was _determined_ to figure out Connor McKinley. It was late, past the pre-set curfew – but nobody followed every single rule now, anyway – but Kevin was wide awake, and was making his way through the Ugandan hut to Elder McKinley’s office. He knew that Connor was in there. How? Because the door to his and Poptarts’ room was left cracked open, and they _never_ left it like that. Kevin peeked his head into the open doorway to the office. 

Connor was sitting there, as expected. But he wasn’t… doing anything? He was just sitting there. He looked lost in thought, Kevin realized. But thinking about what? The redhead’s facial expression was unreadable. 

“Elder McKinley?” Kevin questioned, stepping into the entryway. 

“Oh, Elder Price; please, come in,” Connor greeted pleasantly, his smile making Kevin’s stomach do flips. “What are you doing up so late?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Kevin answered smoothly, stepping into the office and sitting in the chair on the other side of the small desk. “I could ask you the same thing.”

Connor snickered lightly. “Same reason as you. It’s warm tonight.”

Kevin nodded. He sensed that the ‘warmth’ wasn’t really the reason why Connor couldn’t sleep, but he didn’t push it. “Yeah,” he agreed. “It’s been a lot warmer at night here recently.” A lie. 

“Just another thing to adapt to, it shouldn’t matter anymore in just a few days.”

“Mm.. Hey, Con– Elder McKinley?”

“Yes, Elder Price?”

“About my, uh… Hell Dream, a while back,” Kevin started. 

Connor looked intrigued. “Yes?”

“You asked me if you were in it. Why?”

“Oh, that–“ his pale cheeks were now a light shade of red. “I was.. just teasing. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Kevin could have let it go. He really could have. But he chose not to. “You’re not that great of a liar, Elder McKinley.” 

“I’m sorry?”

“Why are you really up?”

“What?”

And now Connor looked tired, like he sometimes did. Like it was a struggle to just continue. Like he wanted to just lay down and not get up for awhile. Kevin continued, “It’s not just the heat. There’s something else keeping you up.”

Kevin was surprised that it was that easy. Connor had sighed, confirming Kevin’s suspicions, and dragged his hands over his face. 

“Alright,” Connor mumbled through his hands. “Okay, fine. It’s not just the heat.”

“What’s going on, Elder? You can talk to me. I won’t go around telling the others, you know that.” 

“Hell Dreams,” was the answer, still slightly muffled by the soft looking freckled skin of Connor McKinley’s hands. His next response _sounded _tired. “Is this all you’re here to ask? Because, I’m sorry, but I’d _really_ prefer not to talk about any of this.” __

__Kevin slowly nodded his head, pushing himself up out of the chair. “Understandable. I’ll leave you alone. Sorry to bother, Elder McKinley.”_ _

__It was silent, Connor not looking up, and Kevin took that as his signal to leave. He had only managed to stand and turn before he felt a hand brush his fingertips. Kevin quickly turned, to see Connor looking up at him._ _

__“You never did answer me, though,” Connor spoke. He seemed as if he was half-joking. “Was I? Was I in your Hell Dream, Elder Price?”_ _

__Kevin considered lying again. Instead, he told the truth. Maybe it could help him bring himself closer and get more out of the other. “Yes. You were.”_ _

__Then, he continued out of the office and back to his an Arnold’s shared room, without a second glance back. He didn’t think he wanted to see Connor’s face when he received the answer. Kevin honestly didn’t think that it was the answer that Connor was looking for, truth or not._ _

__Kevin Price was going to figure out the mystery of Connor McKinley, no matter what it took._ _


	2. free day

Kevin awoke to loud voices and yelling which, surprisingly enough, wasn’t anything _new._ A quick glance around the room showed him that Arnold was no longer in bed, and Kevin assumed that he was _probably_ contributing to the sound. He pushed himself up out of bed, slipping into his clothing, before coming out into the living room. He was still fixing his tie when he arrived. 

Elders Neeley and Davis were arm wrestling, and it didn’t seem to be going very far. Almost all of the others were surrounding them, cheering and whooping, each rooting for one or the other. Then, Kevin’s eyes landed on Connor and Poptarts, who were sat on the couch and watching the group with amused grins. Connor didn’t seem nearly as tired as he did last night, Kevin noted, but he couldn’t figure out just yet if it was real or fake. 

“Good morning, Elder Price,” Connor suddenly greeted, to Kevin’s surprise.

“Oh. Good morning,” Kevin gave a small nod, then another one to Poptarts, who had waved. “What’s… happening?”

“They’ve been at it for an hour and a half,” Poptarts explained. “It started with just rock, paper, scissors, and then it just kind of.. evolved.”

“I’m afraid one of them are going to break their arm. We can’t fix that. We only have band-aids,” Connor said, turning his gaze back on the group of still cheering elders. 

Poptarts giggled at that, nodding his head, “I’ll go remind them.”

Once the blonde got up from the couch, Connor looked up at Kevin and gestured to the newly empty seat beside himself. “I have a feeling he won’t be back for awhile.” 

So, Kevin sat. 

“I assume you managed to get some sleep last night, then?” Connor spoke, now looking over at the others again. 

“I did, yeah,” Kevin confirmed. “Did you?”

Connor didn’t answer. “Was I really in your Hell Dream?”

“You were.”

Then Connor went quiet. Kevin couldn’t figure out if he was upset or if he didn’t care. 

They sat side by side, listening to the cheering. Eventually there was a winner, and the cheering was even louder. “I _knew_ you would win, Elder!!” Kevin could hear Arnold yell. 

Connor was still watching them, with another smile. Arnold flung his arms around Elder Davis, cheering about how proud he was. Kevin glanced over when he saw Connor start clapping and cheering as well. 

Then the redhead stood up and clapped his hands twice to grab everyone’s attention. Eventually everyone quieted. “Goooooood morning, elders!” Connor was smiling and cheerful again – and it seemed real. “Today is going to be a bit of a free day, to counteract our _busy_ day yesterday.” 

More cheers, from the larger group of elders. 

“But!” Connor added, holding up a finger. Everyone quieted again. “We’re going to be spending our time _outside!”_

Some groans and complaining. 

Connor still wore a smile. “I know, I _know._ But we’ve spent all of our other free days indoors! It’s a nice day out–“

“Uh, Elder McKinley, it’s _burning hot_ outside,” Elder Neeley cut in, ever so helpfully. 

Kevin spoke without even thinking. “It’s _always_ burning hot outside, Elder Neeley.”

“Right!” Connor nodded, quickly continuing on before Kevin and Neeley could get into a fight like they often did. “Which is why it will be okay to spend a fun day outside!” 

There was more grumbling and complaining, but they all ended up outside, each doing their own thing. Kevin glanced around, not able to spot all of the elders. He assumed that some of them were out, in different places around the village. He spotted Arnold, joking around with Nabulungi, and smiled. They always looked so happy together. Kevin glanced around again, though. He was looking for someone in particular. 

The someone that he’s been particularly looking for, for quite some time now. Kevin wondered if that was something that Connor noticed. Did Connor notice that Kevin seemed to be trying to spend more time around him? Did it raise any suspicions? Connor didn’t seem to be acting any differently, so if he _had_ noticed, he must not have much that he wanted to hide from Kevin. Or, well, if he did, then they were things that he was hiding from _everyone._

Kevin eventually spotted the redhead, standing on his own and just kind of surveying the area. Kevin approached him. “What are you doing on your own over here?” He questioned, glancing over the other elder’s shoulder to see what he was looking at. He seemed to be watching Elder Church and Elder Poptarts, who were playing with Kale and some of the children. Connor smiled, turning to look at Kevin. 

“The kids are cute, aren’t they?” Connor questioned, seemingly ignoring the question about being alone. It didn’t really faze Kevin, though – he hadn’t expected an actual answer to it anyway.

“Yeah,” Kevin agreed. “They look happy to have people to play with.”

“I almost don’t ever want to leave.”

“Really?”

Connor shrugged. “I mean– _Sure,_ it’s unbearably hot, and our living quarters are rather small for how many of us there are, and _sure,_ we have to worry about lions and scorpions and mosquitos getting in and eating us while we sleep, and _sure,_ literally _nothing_ here is nearly as easy as it was back at home, but.. I love you guys. I love all of the people that we’ve met here. I love Africa.”

That made Kevin smile. It also made him think. “Don’t you miss your family?”

“Well… Of course. But, doesn’t everyone?” Connor spoke, glancing at Kevin. “I’m sure you miss your brothers–”

“Actually,” Kevin interrupted, “I don’t think I want to leave, either.”

Connor laughed, and Kevin’s smile brightened. He loved hearing Connor laugh. It was truly a beautiful sound. He made it a new goal of his, among all of them, to try to make Connor laugh more often.

“Because of your brothers?” Connor asked, that amused smile still on his lips. His eyes almost seemed to twinkle. Kevin felt his stomach do flips again.

“Uh–” Kevin actually stammered slightly, feeling his face get hot. He looked away, forward again, to the elders playing with the children again. Kale was yelling something, and the elders and children were laughing at her. “No, no, not entirely,” Kevin decided. “I mean, I do miss them, I _do,_ it’s just… It really doesn’t feel like I’ve spent all that much time without them.”

“It’s been almost two years, Elder,” Connor teased, lightly bumping Kevin with his elbow. 

Kevin shrugged. “And I’m never going to get another two-year break from them again. I need to enjoy it while it lasts.”

The redhead was laughing again. “And are you enjoying it?”

“You know,” Kevin started, looking around them. At Arnold and Naba, at Church and Poptarts and Kale and the children, and various other elders and Ugandans, and then at their smiling district leader. “Yeah. I really am.”


	3. truth

Kevin was up late again that night. He’d been up at night often recently, though. All for the same reason – Connor McKinley was running through his mind, perhaps wearing that red feather boa that he’d had in Kevin’s Hell Dream. Kevin thought about that often. What was the _significance?_ What did Connor’s appearance in his Hell Dream _mean?_

Now, he hadn’t had any more Hell Dreams since then. Maybe because his faith wasn’t all there, as much as it had been. Maybe because _none_ of them seemed to have much faith in their religion anymore. It was almost sad. Almost. Things weren’t nearly as strict as when everyone had complete faith. Connor had relaxed on the rules quite a bit. 

He wondered if Connor was up right now, too. Kevin wouldn’t really be surprised either way. Arnold was asleep, Kevin knew, because his snores were rather loud. He sighed, slipping out of bed and out of the room. Glancing down the hall, he noticed that Connor’s room door was completely shut. Maybe he was asleep. Kevin tiptoed down the hallways and made his way into the kitchen, to get a glass of water. And, secretly, to snoop around to see if Connor was up. 

“Elder Price?”

Aaaaaaaand _there_ was his answer.

“Hi, Elder McKinley,” Kevin greeted, turning around as he took a sip of his water. 

“You’re up late again,” Connor murmured. “Why do you keep getting up late?”

Kevin shrugged. “Why do _you_ keep getting up late.”

Connor stared at him.

“Are you still having Hell Dreams?”

The redhead sighed, running his hands over his face. “Nightly.”

Kevin sat down at the kitchen table, gesturing to the chair opposite his. Connor seemed a bit hesitant, but eventually sat down as well. 

“Is it the same dream every time?” Kevin asked, curiously. 

“No,” Connor said, slowly. “It’s always just slightly different. Why?”

“I’m just curious.”

“Why?”

Kevin shrugged awkwardly. “...I don’t know.”

Connor stared at Kevin for a moment. His blue eyes bore into Kevin’s own brown ones, and he could almost see a suspicious glare in them. “Why are you so interested in me, Elder Price?” 

Kevin honestly didn’t know the answer to that question. He knew that he really was interested in the redhead who sat in front of him. He knew that he wanted to find out all that he could about the other – about why he acted the way he did, about who he was. Everything. “Why shouldn’t I be?”

“I’m no more interesting than, say, Elder Neeley is,” Connor was smiling now. 

“That’s not true.” Kevin stated. “You’re the most interesting out of everyone here. I’ve already got all of them figured out. But _you._ You’re a mystery.” 

Connor had his eyebrows raised, an almost mischievous glint in his eyes now. It intrigued Kevin. “I think I’m quite outward with most things.”

“Yeah, sure, most things. It’s the other things, the things you _aren’t_ outward about that interest me the most.”

“Fine,” Connor said, with a shrug. “You get one question. I’ll give you one piece to this ‘mystery’ that you think I am.”

That came as a surprise to Kevin. He didn’t even have to think about what he wanted to ask, but pretended to think anyway. “Only one?”

The boy in question only giggled at Kevin’s response. 

“Alright,” Kevin nodded. “Why did you ask if you were in my Hell Dream?”

“Elder–“

“Please. Call me Kevin.”

Connor seemed to hesitate, before nodding. “Alright.. El– uh, Kevin. Why does this matter to you so much? It was just– I had just been kidding.”

“You’re lying. And, anyway, you _were_ in my Hell Dream. It was like you knew that you’d be in it. Why? What does it mean?”

“I don’t– I don’t _know_ what it means. And I didn’t _know_ that I would actually– Ugh.” Connor seemed stressed now. He huffed, running his hands through his hair. “It was just– I thought, maybe, because– Okay. You know how other people that you _know_ would be there were there? Like, like, uh.. Like Hitler.”

Kevin nodded slowly, wondering where Connor was going with. He seemed to be getting the truth out of him now. “Yeah. And Jeffrey Dahmer and Johnnie Cochran and–“

 _“Yeah._ Does that mean that _I’ll_ be there?”

“What–“

“Because– Because _they_ are present in nearly everyone’s Hell Dreams. I know that, because they’re always in mine. And I’ve talked to other elders after they’ve had Hell Dreams, and they say the same thing. So does that mean that I–“

“Have you asked the others if _you_ were in theirs?”

“Well– No,” Connor looked down at the table, twiddling his fingers anxiously. 

“Then you might not be in everyone’s Hell Dreams. Maybe it was only mine,” Kevin offered. 

“Okay, yeah, maybe, but what does that _mean?”_ He seemed desperate to find an answer. “Hell Dreams show you how bad it is there, so that you’ll fix your actions. They show you the things that you would see there. And _I_ was there!” 

Kevin started to say something, but Connor cut him off. “I’m going to Hell, Kevin. I’m _so_ going to Hell.” 

There were tears swimming in Connor’s beautiful blue eyes. He quickly stood up from the table and turned to leave the kitchen, but Kevin followed suit and grabbed hold of his smaller wrist. Kevin wasn’t exactly sure how it happened, but Connor ended up falling against him, his face hidden in the cloth of Kevin’s pajama shirt. 

Connor sobbed into Kevin’s chest. And Kevin just… held him. He felt something in him break, as he stood in the middle of the poorly lit kitchen, running his hand up and down Connor’s shaking back, his pained and horrified sobs being the only noise. Kevin hurt, too. 

After awhile, Connor fell quiet again. He’d cried himself to sleep in Kevin’s arms. With a slight bit of reluctance, Kevin carried him to his bed, before retreating back to his own. Arnold was still asleep, his snores still just as loud as when Kevin had left, but that was the last of his thoughts.


	4. rainy day

Kevin found that he was the last one awake the next morning. It was a rainy day, so the Elders were “stuck” inside. (Really, Kevin assumed, they begged Connor to let them stay inside and he was just too exhausted to argue it.) Board games and card games were happening all over the floors, tables, couches -- it was hard for Kevin to even get through. Connor, however, was standing outside the hut, underneath the small roofing to where he wouldn’t get wet. Kevin found his way outside, standing next to him.

“Good morning,” Kevin greeted.

Connor jumped, as if he hadn’t seen or heard Kevin come out. “Oh- Good morning, Kevin.”

He was surprised to hear Connor say his actual name again, even though he’d asked him to just last night. He loved the way Connor said his name. Kevin smiled at him. “Did you sleep well after last night.”

“Yeah.. I did, actually.” Connor answered, looking away and toying with his hands. “I’m sorry about that, by the way. I shouldn’t have-”

“Stop.”

Connor did. 

Kevin shook his head. “There’s no need to apologize for any of it. I mean-- at this point, Connor, if you think about it, we’re _all_ going to hell. Nobody is really following the rules, not like we used to. I mean, _I_ drink way too much coffee, Arnold just kind of… _rewrote_ the entire bible, with stuff he’d made up on the spot -- do I need to go on? So what? So what if you might not be following the rules, or you’re not doing _exactly_ what the bible says? Nobody is, anymore. At least nobody here is. You’re not going to Hell.”

Connor stared at him, a look of awe on his face. He was speechless, so Kevin decided to continue even though it might not have been his greatest idea.

“Is it about the whole, uh, Steve Blade thing? Is that why you think you’re going to Hell?” Connor nodded, and Kevin shrugged. “You aren’t the only one. I’m _pretty_ sure there’s something going on between Poptarts and Church.”

“Oh.” Connor murmured. He glanced out at the rain briefly, before looking back at Kevin. And before Kevin knew it, Connor was hugging him. He felt his stomach do flips as he returned the gesture.

“Thank you, Kevin,” Connor said, his voice muffled by Kevin’s shirt.

 

It wasn’t long before the two of them ended up back inside. Nobody really seemed to notice their absence, or their arrival. Everyone’s heads were still buried in whatever they had been doing when Kevin first went outside. Kevin noticed that Connor’s eyes lingered over Elders Poptarts and Church, when he was scanning the room. Kevin knew why, too, so he didn’t say anything and just pretended not to notice. 

“Do you really think that I won’t go to hell?” Connor asked him, suddenly.

Kevin shrugged. “I don’t think so. And hey, if you do, I’ll be there too.”

Connor looked at him with an almost unamused stare. It made Kevin grin.

“We can have a hell party,” Kevin continued, trying to cheer him up. “Just you and me, two guys who shouldn’t be in hell but might end up there anyway.”

“Oh, quit,” but now Connor was grinning too, as he lightly elbowed Kevin’s arm. “You’re going to jinx it.”

“Jinx what? The hell party?”

Both of them were laughing at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yikes i am so sorry that this took so long && that it was so short :( i'll try to get the next chapter up quicker and to make it longer - i just thought that this was a good place for this one to end


	5. effortless

Things seemed to go back to normal. Kevin snuck out of bed a few times every week, but Connor was nowhere to be found each night. Probably in bed, sleeping, like a normal person would be doing at these hours. Kevin would _never_ get over his coffee addiction if he kept getting up at two and three in the morning every other night. No one seemed to  know, though, because he was never questioned. He wondered if Connor knew, due to the times that they’d “run into” each other before. If he knew anything, he’s chosen not to mention it.

Little by little, things were starting to get picked up and put away. They’d be leaving soon, to go back home. Back to Utah. Back to his parents, to his brothers -- his family. Kevin hadn’t started packing. He didn’t want to go. If he left, he didn’t have time to be with Connor. Or-- Or with _Arnold,_ for that matter. Or Nabulungi, or any of the friends he’d made on this trip. It was sad. It really was. 

“Elder Price?”

Kevin turned. It was Connor -- he had recognized his voice, of course. “Yes?”

Connor joined Kevin on the couch. It was later in the evening, the other Elders were gathered in different areas, just hanging out until it was time for bed, relaxing after the day’s activities. Kevin had been sitting alone, spaced out without really noticing. “You seem down,” Connor said, concern showing in his delicate features. “What’s going on?”

Kevin laughed lightly. “Oh… It’s nothing, Elder McKinley. It’s stupid.”

His eyebrows creased. “It is _not_ stupid, Elder Price, whatever it is. If it’s bugging you, then it’s important.” Connor leaned in a bit closer, and Kevin felt his face get warm. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not ready to leave,” Kevin answered, scooting over a bit. Connor didn’t seem to notice -- he didn’t even seem to notice how _close_ he was, anyway. Connor had always been a little unaware of his proxemics. “And everyone’s already starting to pack, because we’ll be going back home soon. It all feels too soon. Like I just met you and we won’t get to talk anymore.”

Connor’s face showed understanding, next. His already soft features softened even more, and he nodded. His eyes looked sad. He nodded. “I feel the same way. We all need to find a way to keep in touch. Or have reunions, or something.”

Kevin nodded, but that wasn’t really what he meant. The only people that he truly wanted to keep in touch with were Arnold and Naba -- and, of course, Connor. Of course. “Yeah. Yeah, that would be awesome.”

“You must be excited to see your family again, though. And to just be _home_ again. In your own bed, in the comfort of an air-conditioned house. And, TV! Gosh, I miss TV. I don’t even want to think about how many episodes of _Say Yes to the Dress_ that I missed,” Connor went on.

Kevin laughed. It wasn’t meant to be funny, Connor was being completely serious. But that was why it was so funny.

Connor raised his eyebrows. “What are you laughing at? It’s been two years since we’ve had access to a working television, do you know how long it’s going to take me to catch up? I won’t be able to sleep for _weeks.”_

He couldn’t help it, honestly. Kevin couldn’t stop laughing. It was funny. It was cute. _Connor_ was cute. And he was so cute, without trying to be. He was effortlessly cute, just like how he was effortlessly a good person, and effortlessly gentle and caring and kind and -- Kevin was in love. He wouldn’t admit it, but _god,_ he was in love with Connor. Effortlessly cute, effortlessly charming Connor. 

“Kevin,” Connor whined, but he was laughing too. “It’s not funny, it’s a crisis. I’m having a midlife crisis and I’m not even twenty-five.”

The two of them were reduced into fits of giggles, just sitting there together on the couch. Things like this, small things like this, would be what Kevin would miss the most. Just sitting with Connor, just watching him, watching his expressions change as he thought about things, watch his hand gestures that he always used to speak, watch his blue eyes light up when he got excited. Sitting here with Connor, making him laugh, laughing with him. Talking to him. Listening to him.

When their laughter faded away, Connor smiled at Kevin. “I was serious, you know. Catching up on that show is _not_ going to be easy.”

He didn’t really think about what he said next. “Would it be easier to do if you had someone to watch it with?”

“Well, yeah, but I don’t have any friends who watch it, or who would be willing to watch it with-”

“I’ll watch it with you, then.”

Connor stared, surprise. Then, he chuckled awkwardly. “Would you really?”

Kevin gave a shrug. “Yeah. Why not?”

That energetic Connor McKinley came back, the one that Kevin actually remembered being kind of annoyed by and afraid of, back when he and Arnold had first arrived. The one that he had come to know and fall in love with. The one that… just now launched himself at Kevin, in an excited hug.

“You’re the best!” Connor cheered. “You’re the _best,_ Kevin Price!”

Kevin laughed, returning the hug. “Yeah, yeah.”

It wasn’t because Kevin really wanted to spend his time staying up all night to watch _Say Yes to the Dress._ It was because he wanted more time with Connor. More time with Connor, and with Connor only. And if that meant that he was going to be staying up all night watching _Say Yes to the Dress_ for a few nights, it was more than worth it.


End file.
